The three pillars of Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing has proven to be one of the most effective methods to increase website visitors, leads and customers for your business. If you’re finding it hard to get a grasp of inbound marketing, you’re not alone. The concept isn’t anything new, it’s simply a concentrated effort to attract, nurture and convert leads and customers for your business.

The term ‘inbound marketing’ has come about because of the rapid change in the way people are now making decisions about what product or service to buy. More and more people research, compare, review and buy online. You only need to take a look around you, to see that everyone has their head buried in a computer, tablet or iPhone looking for, and consuming information – and making decisions based on what they find.

In order to be effective at inbound marketing, you must first have a solid foundation in three things:

1. SEO

Good search engine optimisation is the first stage of the inbound marketing process, and is essential in ensuring your business can be found in search engines for the right keywords so that you attract quality leads to your website.

Without the basic principles of SEO, your content marketing efforts could well be wasted. After all, there’s no point in spending time researching and creating a great piece of content if no-one can find it.

2. Content

Content marketing is the staple of inbound marketing; it’s also the backbone of long term and successful SEO. Content can be in the form of a blog post, white paper, video, infographic or a range of different mediums in order to educate, inspire and attract potential customers.

The creation and publishing of quality and relevant content is the first step to developing trust and credibility amongst potential customers, as well as authority and loyalty amongst existing clients.

3. Social

Social media is a highly effective way to amplify your message and reach a wider audience with your content. Social platforms are the ideal place to engage with your prospects and interact on social networks where your ideal buyers spend their time. It’s also a great way to build and maintain relationships with existing customers and keep your brand top-of-mind.

So what are the takeaways for businesses who want to start implementing the pillars of a solid inbound marketing strategy?:

Optimisation – make sure your website is performing well in search engines, and that you know which keywords drive the most valuable traffic to your website

Content – good quality content is a business asset that can contribute directly to leads and sales. Make sure you consistently create enough unique and credible content that is relevant to your audience

Social – understand what networks your audience participates in, and create a social media strategy that allows you to share content and engage your audience

And finally, measure everything – because you need to know what works, what doesn’t, and use the right analytics and automation that takes the guesswork out of the process.

Contact our Inbound Marketing team to find out how we can help improve the visibility of your brand and generate more leads for your business.